When AI Agents Edit Your Code: The Hidden Price of Automated Development

AI coding agents promise faster development by automating repetitive tasks and code generation, but they introduce hidden costs often overlooked in vendor pitches: hours spent in code review and verification, real cloud expenses (averaging $150-250 monthly per developer), and the risk of breaking subtle product logic due to limited domain understanding. Organizations must implement guardrails and recognize that automation accelerates code drafting, not architectural decision-making.